Marriage contract no. 227: Nassau-Weilburg - Nassau-Dillenburg

  • Date of contract conclusion: 3. September 1558
  • Place of contract conclusion: Dillenburg

Groom

  • Name: Albrecht von Nassau-Weilburg
  • GND: 102115303
  • Year of Birth: 1537
  • Year of Death: 1593
  • Dynasty: Nassau-Weilburg
  • Confession: lutherisch

Bride

  • Name: Anna von Nassau-Dillenburg
  • GND: 130510420X
  • Year of Birth: 1541
  • Year of Death: 1616
  • Dynasty: Nassau-Dillenburg
  • Confession: lutherisch

Actors of the Groom

  • Name: Philipp III. von Nassau-Weilburg
  • GND: 137982895
  • Dynasty: Nassau-Weilburg
  • Relationship: Vater

Actors of the Bride

  • Name: Johann III. von Nassau-Beilstein
  • GND: 1072584174
  • Dynasty: Nassau-Beilstein
  • Relationship: älterer Angehöriger des Hauses Nassau

Contract content

Preamble: Names of the parties involved and marriage partners

1 – Promise of marriage according to Christian church law and consummation of the marriage

2 – Dowry of 6,000 guilders; appropriate trousseau guaranteed by the bride’s father

3 – Widow’s provision regulated: 700 guilders annually from the office and castle of Burgschwalbach as dower and life estate; rights of use regulated; prohibition of pledging the widow’s dower; maintenance of the buildings regulated; payment of the life estate regulated; freedoms of the subjects regulated; homage of the subjects

4 – Morning gift of 1000 guilders; morning gift at the full disposal of the bride; Right of repurchase by the groom’s family in the event of inheritance of the morning gift; inheritance of the morning gift regulated

5 – Renunciation of inheritance by the bride

6 – Groom dies before the bride: use of the dower guaranteed for the bride; 300 guilders per year for the bride if she remains at court with any children; remarriage of the bride regulated

7 – Bride dies before groom without children: groom’s lifelong right to use the dowry; reversion of the dowry after the groom’s death

8 – Bride dies before groom with children: inheritance of the dowry

9 – Groom dies before bride with children: possible inheritance by the bride and transfer of 4000 guilders regulated if the children die before her and members of the Nassau-Saarbrücken and Nassau-Idstein lines exist or not

10 – Widow’s residence regulated: maintenance of buildings; inventory; provision of natural produce

11 – Regulations concerning debts

12 – Relationship of the contract to other letters and agreements concerning the marriage regulated

13 – Promise to abide by the above; contract executed in two copies; place, date; signatures; seals

Regulations on inheritance law

4 – Morning gift of 1000 guilders; morning gift at the full disposal of the bride; Right of repurchase by the groom’s family in the event of inheritance of the morning gift; inheritance of the morning gift regulated

5 – Renunciation of inheritance by the bride

7 – Bride dies before groom without children: groom’s lifelong right to use the dowry; reversion of the dowry after the groom’s death

8 – Bride dies before groom with children: inheritance of the dowry

9 – Groom dies before bride with children: possible inheritance by the bride and transfer of 4000 guilders regulated if the children die before her and members of the Nassau-Saarbrücken and Nassau-Idstein lines exist or not

References